Dear readers, Avi and I were blessed to welcome a beautiful baby boy, Ronen Adir, into our family in early November. We’re taking a bit of a hiatus from the blog to spend time together as a family but stay tuned for lots of delicious recipes in the new year. In the meantime, enjoy this photo of the newest member of our family!

I’m always on the lookout for gluten-free and allergy-friendly grab-and-go snacks because I spend a lot of time running to and from meetings during the week, and I’m always on the go on the weekends. Plus, now that I’m pregnant, emergency snacks are key for when I am suddenly ravenous out of nowhere. In general, I like my snacks to be:

easy to eat one-handed and while walking at a brisk pace

small enough to throw in a purse or folio

healthy enough to work for breakfast in a pinch

small enough to sneak into meetings

With all of those things in mind, granola or cereal bars are usually the best solution (although if you have other ideas, feel free to comment and let me know!), the one caveat being that many gluten-free bars are crumbly and make a mess (not good if you are trying to sneak a snack in a meeting!). I’ve tried a lot of products and was recently provided a sample ofBakery on Main’s line of soft & chewy granola bars.

These bars met all of my criteria–easily gobbled up while running to my next meeting, small enough to carry to and fro, packed with whole grains and seeds, and because of the chia and flax seed, they hold together very well and won’t crumble in your lap.

These aren’t granola bars in the traditional sense (or at least what I imagine when I think “granola bar”)–they remind me more of a cereal bar because they have a lot of different grains, as well as flax and chia seeds which give them a different feel. There are three different flavors, all of which are free of gluten and dairy, but some flavors do contain different food allergens so make sure to read the allergen warnings if you have food allergies.

Want to win a package of Bakery on Main soft & chewy granola bars (your choice of flavor!)? Enter to win below. This contest will be open until August 31, 2014 at midnight. Winners will need to provide their name, mailing address, phone number, and email in order to receive their prize, and will be automatically added to the Bakery on Main monthly newsletter. Good luck!

Oh my goodness, what a busy few months! I am thrilled to share that Avi and I are expecting our first child, set to join our family in November. We could not be more excited but I haven’t been cooking and baking nearly as much because I’ve been so tired (and I just started a new job!) but I am finally getting back into the swing of things. Thanks for being patient while I’ve been away and look forward to lots of new recipes in the coming months!

Soups are a stand-by weeknight dinner for us, and I’m always looking for new and different ways to mix things up. However, this soup is one that I keep making over and over again. It’s great hot or cold, it’s pretty no-fuss once you have all of the items chopped (and you don’t have to peel anything! Just scrub), and it can be served as an appetizer or a full meal if you throw in a few pieces of crusty gluten-free bread.

This is soup is also incredibly versatile. The preparation method adds an incredible depth of flavor and can be used with any number of fruit and vegetable combinations, so whatever you have in your fridge right now will probably make a great soup.

Chop veggies and apple into large but evenly sized pieces. Smash and peel garlic cloves. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread evenly between the two baking sheets (you don't want things to be too crowded, they will steam rather than roast).

Roast in the oven for 40-60 minutes until everything is browned and soft.

In the meantime, heat water in a large stock pot. When veggies are done, add them to boiling water, turn down flame and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Using a stick/immersion blender, blend everything until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and add additional lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve hot or cold topped with your choice of minced herbs.